An international journey forces you to shave down personal belongings to the most essential. You may not have the perfect shoes or scarf for every picture-perfect moment as you travel, but that’s a good thing. Having fulfilling experiences means so much more than looking your best or having everything that you’ve ever bought. Happiness shouldn’t be dependent on material things, which is easier to realize when you’re forced to leave them behind.
Everyone is affected by the people that surround them. When you have globally-minded friends from all over the world, you become impacted by these friendships in meaningful ways. You’ll hear more world views and perspectives, even if simply by following these people on Facebook. The people you meet abroad are also travelers, so they will encourage you to keep pushing yourself to make international trips. They’ll also connect you to a whole new regions of the world. You may even be able to crash on their couch. At the very least you’ll get to experience their culture through the back door with their insider guidance.
Once you leave your hometown and country, you’ll hear perspectives and ideas that you never encountered before. The world becomes more complex and layered. You may not completely change your opinion on issues like geopolitics, climate change, pop culture and globalization, but you’ll become more aware of the differing opinions on these global phenomena. Just being conscious of the vast difference of perspectives out there can really open your mind to the discourse outside your bubble.
When you’re physically abroad, it forces you to accept new people, places and situations into your life – whether you like it or not. Being forced to adapt to a new culture and learn how to thrive in a completely foreign place will make you a more open-minded person for the rest of your life. You’ll then be able to take that openness and use it to push yourself to do new things when you’re back home. People who have traveled internationally can make amazing hosts for foreigners, for example. International travelers can empathize with the feeling of being outside your home culture.
International travel pushes your limits. You’re in a completely new place where you may not even speak the local language. Learning how to go with the flow is an important lesson that you’ll learn by traveling abroad. Even if you plan everything perfectly ahead of time, you’ll still encounter unforeseen complications or discomforts that you’ll just have to learn to roll with.
Food is an amazing way to share and engage in a new culture. When you travel internationally you can explore new tasty foods, or the authentic recipes of foods that you may have sort of tried before. Knowing about a foreign food culture is interesting knowledge to have under your belt – even better if you can serve up a dish for your friends or family when you get back home.
Going abroad is a great way to experience new artistic works. You can learn a lot about a culture based on their museums, theatre, concerts and other works. Engaging in another culture’s art world can really open your eyes to brand new forms of expression that illuminate new perspectives and ideas.
Sources: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/travel
Photo 1. by Elizabeth Trovall
Photo 2. by Elizabeth Trovall
Photo 3. by Elizabeth Trovall
Photo 4. by Elizabeth Trovall